Record Store Day '25: An Enthusiasts Guide
A Deep, DEEP Dive Into 17 Releases You'll Want To Read. And Maybe Hear.
NOTE: I’ve not included images of these releases to save space. You’re welcome.
Record Store Day 2025: 17 Releases Worth Waking Up For (or Not)
Have you been doing your 180-gram curls? Practicing your “downward-facing crate digger” yoga position? Do you have appropriate footwear, rain gear, and snacks for the long line wait? Is there gas in the car? <Donald Fagen voice> Yes, there’s gas in the car! </Donald Fagen voice>
You know the drill. One day a year, vinyl nerds everywhere roll out of bed way too early, clutching their want list like a life preserver as they make their way to their local record emporium to stand in line with the other bleary-eyed crate diggers, hoping the vinyl gods smile upon them.
It’s Record Store Day, baby. Huzzah!
This is Jazz & Coffee’s annual breakdown of the good, the great, the overrated, and the are-you-serious-with-this-$48-colored-vinyl-of-something-I-can-stream-for-free kind of releases. And because ya’ll are THE BEST, I’ve got the inside scoop on 17 titles so you can decide which are worth an early morning hustle and which ones you can grab online the following day while still in your pajamas.
So measure the beans, fire up your grinder, power up the Crosley (I kid—please buy a real turntable), and let’s get into it.
Table of Contents (yes, this one is long enough to need one)
Glossary
Glossary (there will NOT be a test later)
(please see the Record Store Day website for additional details):
RSD EXCLUSIVES: These titles are available only at indie record stores.
RSD FIRST: These titles are first found at indie record stores but may eventually be released to other retailers, online, or digitally.
RSD SMALL RUN/REGIONAL TITLES: regionally based and sold at specific stores or press runs under 1000. You can’t find them at every RSD store around the country. Call your local store first, or check the RSD website.
☕ The Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Scale™
Because not every RSD title deserves a 5 AM sidewalk vigil. Here’s how I rank ‘em:
• 🛏️ Snooze Button: Skip it. You’ll survive.
• ⏰ One Alarm Clock: Mild curiosity. Worth grabbing if it falls into your lap (or bin).
• ⏰⏰ Two Alarm Clocks: Nice to have, but don’t elbow anyone out of the way.
• ⏰⏰⏰ Three Alarm Clocks: You’ll hate overpaying on Discogs.
• ⏰⏰⏰⏰ Four Alarm Clocks: Show up early. This one will move fast.
• ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ Five Coffees: Start drinking Friday night so you don’t miss out.
I cover the following titles as you scroll down. There’s also a video.:
Freddie Hubbard – On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocco
Various Artists: Alts ’N Outs
Vince Guaraldi Trio – Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (Alternate Takes)
Gerry Mulligan / Thelonious Monk – Mulligan Meets Monk (Mono Mix)
Jazz Dispensary – Night Lights
Bill Evans — Further Ahead: Live in Finland (1964–1969)
Patsy Cline – Imagine That: The Lost Recordings (1954–1963)
Kenny Dorham – Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live from the Blue Morocco
Charles Mingus – In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts
Count Basie – Best of the Roulette Years
Ry Cooder – Live at the Main Point 1972
Grateful Dead—Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/14/76
Jethro Tull – Songs from the Vault: 1975–1978
Joni Mitchell – Live 1976
Todd Rundgren – Initiation
Talking Heads – Live on Tour
Yes - Live at the Rainbow
Freddie Hubbard – On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocco
Label: Resonance Records
Format: 3xLP (180g Black Vinyl)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 1500 copies
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️
One of this year’s RSD crown jewels, On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocco, finds Freddie Hubbard in his prime, leading a band through a pyroclastic flow of sound at the Blue Morocco in 1967. Though Hubbard had led or guested on many legendary albums at this point in his career, these performances blaze with the youthful exuberance of a trumpeter out to prove something every time the house lights went down. That spirit is infectious, triggering equally blistering performances from his band, which includes Bennie Maupin, Kenny Barron, Herbie Lewis, and Freddie Waits.
Resonance’s Zev Feldman unearthed this unreleased 1967 performance, recorded by Bernard Drayton and mastered for vinyl by Bernie Grundman. Each musician is well-recorded, and there’s enough of the room and audience blended into the mix to give this recording a pleasing balance of clarity and authenticity. Don’t expect perfection—the mix fluctuates when Hubbard or Maupin adjust distance or angle to their respective microphones, but otherwise, I have very few complaints about the sound.
The booklet is a mini-novel loaded with liner notes, musician interviews, photos, and essays. Given the lengthy performances, you’ll have plenty of time to read it. If you’ve ever wanted to hear “Bye Bye Blackbird” stretched into a 23-minute suite of dynamite, this is your shot. “Crisis” is 18 minutes of revolutionary energy. “Up Jumped Spring” and "Breaking Point" should not be played anywhere near flammable material—you'll want oven mitts to flip these LPs.
With just 1,500 pressed, this one is going to go fast.
🔊 Verdict: You can almost see the 1980s heavy metal-style t-shirt with FREDDIE HUBBARD: WORLD DOMINATION TOUR and the sideways-stamped SOLD OUT! over it on the back with the listing of cities and dates. There’s a reason many intelligent people are talking about this one.
Various Artists: Alts 'N Outs
Label: Blue Note
Format: 1xLP (180g Opaque Blue Vinyl)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 2500 copies
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰
Jazz aficionados: represent! If you’ll accept nothing less than full immersion into Blue Note’s golden era, Alts 'N Outs is a must. This beautifully curated and sequenced set of alternate takes and outtakes from six legendary Blue Note sessions is a jazz archeologist’s dream. These aren’t scraps from the cutting room floor, botched takes, or lame tunes that should have been given life without parole in the deepest Universal Music vault. These are the songs and takes that were sidelined during sessions for Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else, Grant Green's Idle Moments, Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ Moanin', Jimmy Smith's Back At The Chicken Shack, and Sonny Clark's Cool Struttin’. A few have been issued as bonus tracks in the CD era, while others are appearing on vinyl (outside of Japan) for the first time. Alts 'N Outs is an inspired collection that takes a page from the Tone Poet playbook in that it puts a spotlight on music that might otherwise go unnoticed or overlooked—none of these tracks are throwaways. The exquisite liner notes (I’m saying that aloud humbly, as I wrote them) are jazz nerdery at its tastiest, providing an overview of the history and mystery of why this music was shunned from its intended album.
🔊 Verdict: For hardcore jazz fans, Blue Note obsessives, and completists? Essential! If you’re on the more casual side of jazz listening, less so. And, if you don't have the classic jazz albums this collection is based on, get those first.
Vince Guaraldi Trio – Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (Alternate Takes)
Label: Craft Recordings
Format: 1xLP (Standard Black Vinyl)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3000
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰
Vince Guaraldi’s compositions for the Peanuts television specials is jazz that helped raise a generation. If you already know, love, and own Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown, these alternate takes from the Charlie Brown sessions put Guaraldi’s swinging trio work in a new light. You’ll find these works-in-progress, rehearsals, and test takes looser in spots, playful in others, and delightfully inviting. At the same time, if this music carries deep emotional links to your childhood, one or two of the alternate takes might be a low-key heartbreaker. The Charlie Brown jazz canon has become so baked into our seasonal DNA that hearing Guaraldi not hit the familiar phrasing, flub a cue, or slightly stretch out a melodic line feels like watching your childhood through a distorted lens.
These versions range from rehearsal fragments to mic checks to “almost nailed it that time!” It’s an evolutionary journey through exploratory sketches, including discarded ideas, unexpected hesitations before delivering an expected melody, and new routes through familiar changes. All these add to the sense of hearing your childhood soundtrack through adult ears. It hits hard to realize that the music we always thought was the vibe… hadn’t quite found itself yet. As a kid, you don’t question how something becomes timeless—you know it feels right. But as an adult, your curiosity craves connective tissue and resonates more readily with moments of doubt. Somehow, I found these early, wobbly first steps before the band found its footing comforting in a different way.
There’s a deep, nostalgic glow here, but it’s not just for Peanuts fans. It’s for jazz fans who understand how challenging it is to make complex music sound this catchy. This sweater-weather, cocoa-sipping, bass-walking, brushed-snare perfection could make even the most cynical record collector smile. If they are a Gen-Xer who gets a little misty when they see a Schulz panel in the newspaper, they’ll probably buy two copies. With only 3,000 available, I expect the novelty factor alone could make this one a surprisingly hot item.
After all that context, I was disappointed with my pressing. There was an odd, moldy smell when I removed the shrink wrap from the vinyl. That disappeared after a deep clean cycle in the Humminguru Ultrasonic cleaner. But the vinyl was also severely warped, which contributed to my sense that the overall sound SHOULD have been crisper. Given the Kevin Gray cut and RTI press, I was surprised my copy wasn’t in better shape. YMMV—I wouldn’t use my sole experience as a baseline for your experience, but that’s my honest take. Furthermore, the CD and digital editions include both the core album AND all these extras, so choose wisely.
🔊 Verdict: Nice, but not essential. The 2CD deluxe edition is a better buy. If you go for the vinyl, but it now, then listen to it when it snows.
Gerry Mulligan / Thelonious Monk – Mulligan Meets Monk (Mono Mix)
Label: Craft Recordings (originally Riverside, 1957)
Format: 1xLP (Mono)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3000
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰
There’s a fascinating tension at play when two distinct musical minds occupy the same space—especially when one’s a meticulous baritone architect and the other’s Thelonious Monk. Mulligan Meets Monk, recorded in 1957, is a study in contrast and communion: Mulligan’s cool West Coast linearity dancing cautiously with Monk’s jagged rhythms and spiky chord voicings. It’s not opposites clashing—it’s a musical handshake that somehow tightens as it goes. You’d be forgiven for thinking a Mulligan/Monk collab might’ve been a mismatch—too cool for school meets too idiosyncratic to color inside the lines. But this summit is pure gold and a rare moment where Monk willingly bends his jagged genius to fit someone else’s frame.
This session has been reissued in the past. Still, Craft’s 2025 RSD edition breathes new air into it, giving the historic Riverside session an audiophile polish and tightening the soundstage by presenting the mono mix. The stereo edition isn’t tricky to find as it has been reissued many times, but the mono edition is elusive. I don’t have a stereo LP to compare, but I did compare a digital stereo edition to the mono; to my ears, the mono wins easily. I don’t even have to use nerdy, audiophile terminology as it’s pretty straightforward—Mulligan’s baritone sax can occasionally overpower Monk’s piano in the stereo mix, and they are more evenly matched on the mono pressing. Full stop.
It’s an artful collision between these two jazz powerhouses, with Mulligan seemingly unphased by Monk’s non-standard approaches. It’s a legendary session, and for good reason. Upgraded sound, fantastic high-quality jacket, Kevin Gray cut, RTI pressing—all the ingredients for a quick sellout with a run of only 3,000. I don’t have a mono cartridge, but this record is giving me the urge to go shopping. I felt the same way after hearing Craft’s Record Store Day mono release of Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section—there’s something about the tight soundstage emphasizes the contrast between Mulligan’s bark and Monk’s bite.
🔊 Verdict: Hardcore jazz fans should take No-Doz on Friday evening once they place their lawn chair in front of their favorite record store, grab a good book, and make it an all-nighter.
Jazz Dispensary – Night Lights
Label: Craft Recordings / Jazz Dispensary
Format: 1xLP (Smoke-Hued Blue Vinyl—which is GORGEOUS)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 4000
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰⏰
Jazz Dispensary: Night Lights trades the label’s usual stoner-funk swagger for a smoked-glass cool. Don’t look for fuzzed-out electric piano grooves and wah-wah workouts. That’s for Huggy Bear’s downtown joint. This establishment is strictly uptown elegance once your business is concluded and you’re ready for nightcap jazz—slow-burning, sincere, and focused on feel over flash. There’s no fakery here. These artists have been through it, and you can hear every ache and shimmer in the notes.
The tracklist reads like a late-night DJ’s whisper set: Red Garland, Gene Ammons, Arnett Cobb, Yusef Lateef, and others from Prestige’s Moodsville imprint, essentially the slow-jam department of hard bop. The sequencing is intuitive and rich, stitched with after-hours intentionality that rewards front-to-back listening. You'll want to keep this album handy for your final evening spin, perfect for when you tell Siri to dim the lights after you’ve poured yourself a final glass of Courvoisier. This album is expertly crafted, carefully selected, and arranged to complement your favorite cozy bathrobe, mood enhancers, and a deliberate choice to ignore your phone screen. Though I’m accustomed to a Jazz Dispensary experience that includes black light posters and patchouli, I’m delighted with this record.
Kudos to Team Craft: A&R man Mark Piro did an ace job in curation and sequencing, and the artwork from Liam Cobb is just precisely PERFECT. I’m rarely impressed by colored wax, but this is BEAUTIFUL.
🔊 Verdict: For those with an aversion to digitally sourced vinyl or who have a not-totally-unreasonable mindset that says, “I can make that playlist myself on a streaming service!” this may not be for you. But Night Lights has been a delightful surprise here, and I spent way more time on the deck than I would have expected. Don’t you love it when that happens?
Bill Evans — Further Ahead: Live in Finland (1964–1969)
Label: Elemental Music
Format: 2x LP (180g)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 4700
Alarm Level: ⏰⏰⏰
Manna from Helsinki. It wouldn’t be a Record Store Day without a Bill Evans archival release, right? I can’t answer the question many of you already have: do I need ANOTHER live Bill Evans album? I can only give you my answer, which is I certainly do if it ticks all the right boxes. This one does. So, what, exactly, are those boxes?
There are seventeen tracks across three Finnish concert dates, each showcasing a different trio, and each show has a distinctive character.
The sound quality is uniformly excellent across all three recordings, allowing you to dig into the nuances that make each trio unique.
The packaging, liner notes, and essays provided context and additional depth, making for one of my favorite listening experiences as I prepared this Substack.
Like in my high school days, sitting cross-legged in front of the stereo with the whole package before me, I pored over the booklet (which weighs as much as War & Peace) and listened carefully. Though the jazz world often freezes Bill Evans in 1961 Vanguard trio amber, this Finnish time capsule gently insists we take a broader view. The 1964 tracks with Chuck Israels and Larry Bunker lean more introspective, carrying a residual wistfulness that nods to LaFaro’s tragic absence. The 1965 tracks with NHOP and Alan Dawson have more swing in their step, and Lee Konitz sits in for “My Melancholy Baby.” Konitz doesn’t burn it down, but he doesn’t detract—he’s more a reminder that the trio is where the music of Bill Evans lives largest. The entire second LP is devoted to the 1969 concert with Eddie Gomez and Marty Morell (Evans’s longest-stable trio), which achieves liftoff. They’re still playing with plenty of space and far from Bill’s final trio, where flurries of notes seemed to apparate out of thin air. But there’s an upbeat groove to the attack that makes the entire performance a delight.
🔊 Verdict: Between pristine packaging, great performances, and excellent sound, at 4,700 pressed, this one will test the waters between collector sweet spot and Bill Evans Record Store Day Fatigue.
Patsy Cline – Imagine That: The Lost Recordings (1954–1963)
Label: Elemental Music / Deep Digs
Format: 2xLP (180g)
Category: RSD First
Pressing Quantity: 2550
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰
If you think this is a “country” record, you’re not listening closely enough. Patsy Cline didn’t just sing songs—she carved them into the bedrock of American music. These 50 tracks (including 15 never-before-heard songs) offer a broader view of her artistry. The sound restoration is top-notch (considering the sources), and you’ll hear raw demos, alternate takes, and radio performances that feel like time travel.
You think you know that voice—a distinctive cry somewhere between country gospel and blues torch singer—but Imagine That peels back the curtain a bit further. This set collects radio transcription cuts, demos, and rare studio tracks from the decade before Patsy’s tragic exit, and while the fidelity might not always sparkle, the humanity does. There are moments here that feel like eavesdropping on history—a young Cline finding her tone, tempo, and fire.
The tracklist is a mix of known and unknown, but the in-between takes and alternate reads stop you cold. Patsy wasn’t just a jukebox goddess but an ambassador of vulnerability. Here, stripped of Nashville polish, she sounds even bolder. Her phrasing has a raw clarity that somehow cuts deeper than the hits. It’s not “greatest hits,” it’s greatest clues—a trail of musical breadcrumbs toward a fully formed icon.
2,500 copies only, and it’s an RSD “First,” so expect a wider release later. But the real RSD value here is tactile: two LPs, archival photos, and an experience that feels more like a time machine than a reissue. Country fans, completists, and vocal nerds alike should circle this one. I am extremely fussy about country music, with an incredibly short list of artists, albums, and songs I find compelling. When I heard that Zev was tackling Patsy Cline, I put this title on “ignore”—I couldn’t have cared less. Then, I was told my snobbery was self-sorting into closed-mindedness, and I should give it a listen. I’m glad I did. Don’t let the country tag fool you. I’m not going to say she swings like she studied at Berklee, but I’ve played it twice, and I’m ready to play it again.
🔊 Verdict: Four Alarms and a full pot of coffee. A rare glimpse into the “missing middle” of an icon’s career.
Kenny Dorham – Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live from the Blue Morocco
Label: Resonance Records
Format: 2xLP (180g)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 2500
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰
If the Blue Note years were Dorham’s refined studio statements, this 1967 live set at the Blue Morocco Lounge in the Bronx feels like catching a noir trumpet sermon on the corner. Blue Bossa in the Bronx is the first time this performance sees an official, full-length release. Resonance delivers it with the loving archival treatment we’ve expected from Zev Feldman and crew.
The sound is surprisingly rich for a club date, and the performance is raw in the best sense—edgy, spirited, and full of that Dorham-brand lyricism that constantly teeters between melancholy and cool. The real-time interplay between Dorham and his sidemen gives you a glimpse of a band playing through tunes and living inside them. “Blue Bossa,” his signature, opens the set, but it’s the standards and deep cuts where Dorham paints outside the lines.
Only 2,500 copies were pressed, and the story behind the session alone makes this one of the most talked-about RSD jazz pieces this year. It’s a must-have not just because of rarity or label clout—but because this record adds a significant chapter to Dorham’s hard bop narrative. Dorham has always been “underappreciated” with a capital U, but here, he’s impossible to ignore. This gig puts Dorham on the bandstand fronting a dream lineup: Sonny Red, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Denis Charles. The fidelity is strong, the performances powerful, and this kind of release makes Record Store Day extra special. In ways, while Freddie Hubbard’s Blue Morocco gig packs a mightier wallop, you almost get what you expect with the Hubbard release. It’s also one of several official AND unofficial Hubbard releases covering multiple eras—there’s an embarrassment of Hubbard riches regarding live gigs. Dorham, however, is another story. Nothing circulates in the unofficial trading world, and there are limited options for official live albums. So it’s fantastic news that a previously unheard recording captures a hot performance and sounds great.
🔊 Verdict: Get two copies if you want one to play and one to give to that friend who missed out.
Charles Mingus – In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts
Label: Resonance Records
Format: 3xLP (180g)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3000
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰⏰
Here’s Mingus on a world stage—figuratively and literally. Recorded live in Buenos Aires during a 1977 South American tour, this 3LP monster finds the reflective and raw bandleader, swinging and snarling, working through the dense musical structures that had become his late-period calling card. With Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, Bob Neloms on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums, the band navigates Mingus’ catalog with fearless intensity. Even when Charles occasionally takes his foot off the gas, everyone else keeps the pedal on the floor.
The sound here is startling. Sometimes, I forgot I was listening to a live recording until the Buenos Aires crowd roared in appreciation. Team Resonance had access to work from original reels, and the excellent mix gave just enough space for the group’s explosiveness to bloom without losing control. Extended versions of “Sue’s Changes” and “Fables of Faubus” stretch across full sides, and the interplay is somewhere between a boxing match and a love letter. The beauty is in the tension: political themes wrapped in wild harmonies, swing-era ghost notes colliding with free jazz gestures. It’s all here, and it’s pretty damn great. I prefer Mingus in larger combos, but make no mistake—this is a great discovery.
More Mingus in a moment—I wanted to mention that I had the privilege of MC’ing a chat with producer/Jazz Detective Zev Feldman last week about all of his Record Store Day Releases. Here’s the video:
and now, back to the Mingus review…
This is late-period Mingus, captured live in 1977, only months before his ALS diagnosis, but still chasing new corners in compositions he’d been wrestling with for decades. The package is Resonance at its best: notes, photos, and historical heft. 3,000 pressed, but don’t sleep—Mingus completists and global jazz explorers are already circling this one.
🔊 Verdict: The sound is excellent, and the performances are strong. That said, this isn’t my favorite live period of Mingus’s work. Grab it if you can, but I wouldn’t lose a friendship over it at the bins. YMMV.
Count Basie – Best of the Roulette Years
Label: Rhino
Format: 1xLP (Moss Green Vinyl)
Category: RSD Limited Regional Run Focus
Pressing Quantity: 1000
Jazz & Coffee Alarm Clock Rating: ⏰⏰
Basie’s “New Testament” band of the late ’50s and early ’60s was one of the great post-swing evolutions in big band jazz. Fueled by sleek arrangements from Neal Hefti and Quincy Jones, Basie’s band brought precision and punch that put even sleepy jazzheads on notice. While this release won’t win awards for novelty—these Roulette tracks have been around—it’s a slick-looking, well-selected compilation with solid pressing specs, making for a VERY reasonable entry point for new listeners. The moss-green vinyl’s a fun touch, and for completists, it’ll shelve nicely next to your other Basie titles. For those with such a library who might scoff or sneer at the necessity of releases like this, please consider this: RSD is a “holiday” for everyone. For every deep-pocketed crate digger seeking an elusive rarity, there’s probably a first-timer or new jazz lover for whom this Basie record is tailor-made. If it opens their ears to a world of music previously unexplored, mission accomplished. That’s nothing to sneer at, ever.
🔊 Verdict: I wouldn’t pull a hamstring running after the last copy, but it’s a nice collection.
Ry Cooder – Live at the Main Point 1972
Label: Rhino Records
Format: 1 LP (Black Vinyl)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3000
Jazz & Coffee Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰
The Main Point was a tiny folk club with a giant legacy. And here’s Ry Cooder, early in his solo career, running through a set of deep American roots music, dusted with slide, blues, and fingerstyle wizardry. Previously unreleased, this one’s sourced from Warner’s vaults and sounds WAY better than the bootlegs I’ve had since college. That doesn’t do this album justice. It’s a startling recording that made me embarrassed. I hadn’t cleaned up before Ry Cooder came into my living room with all those people. This sounds freakin’ GREAT. Here it is if you need only one reason to go to a record store on Record Store Day.
🔊 Verdict: My shortest writeup is only because the music should do the talking. My #1 surprise RSD release, which stands just a notch taller than the rest. Amazing.
Grateful Dead—Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/14/76
Label: Rhino Records
Format: 5 LP
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 5500
Jazz & Coffee Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰
The Grateful Dead’s June ’76 run is like one of those Netflix series you keep meaning to watch—everyone says it’s excellent and insists you’ll love it. But when you add it to your queue, you’re overwhelmed because there’s SO much of it—where do you start? For Deadheads, June ’76 is that low-key prestige TV season: quieter, character-driven, and not trying to impress you with pyrotechnics. No Wall of Sound. No “Dark Star.” Just vibes.
For my money, June 14th at the Beacon is the hidden bottle episode that pivots the whole season.
The first set has the kind of slow-burn confidence you only get from a band returning from a year-and-a-half off the road with a fresh lease on sonic weirdness. This isn’t the Dead of ’74—wall-of-sound savants hellbent on breaking brains. This is the Dead as vinyl-sleeve restorationists, dusting off the old stuff with new brushes and just enough muscle memory to make it enjoyable.
Case in point: “Playin’ in the Band.” This version doesn’t melt faces so much as it slowly pulls the wallpaper off your brain in strips. It’s a jam that unfolds like a jazz noir sequence—Moody. Stretched. Half-lit. There’s a moment (around the 10-minute mark, the edible made me lose track) where the whole thing feels like it’s going to collapse into a “Phil & Friends” bass solo moment… but instead, Garcia snakes in sideways with a lick so smooth you wonder if he’s playing guitar or about to sit at the baccarat table with 007. The jam builds with the tension of a true crime docuseries—everyone’s telling the same story but from slightly different angles. By the time the song resolves, you’re not even sure where you went, but you know you went. Don’t snooze on that second set, “The Wheel,” either.
This show won’t convert your cousin who only knows “Touch of Grey.” But this night sits tall among giants for those of us with a dog-eared Maxell J-cased memory of the Beacon run.
This set benefits from Plangent Processes restoration and the usual loving mastering by Jeffrey Norman. It’s not a raucous Dead show, but deeply musical and beautifully preserved. With five LPs to flip, you’ll want an extra protein shake and a spotter. You may be dancing more than expected, so don’t skip leg day either.
There’s something gloriously confounding about June ’76 Dead. It’s a month that feels like a bootleg box set come to life—nearly all of it in glorious FM-simulcast quality, yet the abundance somehow makes it feel underappreciated. Back in the tape-trading days, this run practically traded itself. The airwaves were generous, and the Beacon show was part of the bounty. But like too many gummy bears, the sugar rush of endless high-grade tapes gave a lot of Deadheads a tummy ache. June became “the sleepy month.” Lazy Dead. Stretchy, wandering, rust-shedding Dead. Luckily, nights like this Beacon show shine with a confident energy. This show might not make many “top ten” lists. It may not be the one you pull out when trying to convert your cousin who still insists, “They solo for too long, and they can’t sing.” But for those of us in the know? I’ve had several cassettes, unofficial digital files, and then the ‘76 box—this vinyl edition smokes them all.
🔊 Verdict: A five-alarm coffee grinder. Grateful Dead collectors won’t sleep on this—and neither should you.
Jethro Tull – Songs from the Vault: 1975–1978
Label: Rhino Records
Format: 2 LP
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3000
Jazz & Coffee Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰
Some consider Jethro Tull’s “golden age” their first three blues-oriented releases before they went hard-rock/proggy. Some go no further than the commercial breakout (but still Tulltally awesome) Aqualung. Hardcore prog rockers swear by Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play. Me? I’ve always been enamored of what many call Tull’s “folk trilogy”: Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses, and Stormwatch. I’m a rebel, so I refuse to acknowledge that those records are a trilogy of any kind—they sound nothing alike. Besides, the trio that preceded them—War Child, Too Old To Rock ‘n Roll, and Minstrel in the Gallery—are equally varied and have a lot of great music. I raise this mini-discography overview to underscore that Jethro Tull was among the most prolific 70s bands. If you aren’t a big fan, you haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg unless you’ve been paying attention to their deluxe reissue campaign of the past decade.
From my perspective, Jethro Tull (and, for other reasons, King Crimson) is the gold standard in archival reissues. They’ve done a stellar job in spelunking for unreleased gems and have been more than generous in their delivery at a VERY fair price and in packages that make a lot of sense. I covered this in some detail in a Substack post last year. Why does this matter for Record Store Day 2025? Because if you’ve been worshiping at the altar of Steven Wilson’s Tull remixes (as all self-respecting proggers should), this is the RSD sweet spot: a well-curated highlights collection of unreleased and rare tracks from the Minstrel, Too Old, Songs from the Wood, and Heavy Horses sessions. These are Wilson mixes, so they sparkle with clarity. There’s an absolute joy in hearing the transitional weirdness between folk-druid symphonic bombast and hard-edged prog-rock. Expect lyrical content about mythical creatures, time travel, and bawdy alehouse tales that don’t require a parental advisory sticker—they necessitate an encyclopedia. The gatefold jacket includes a song-by-song analysis from Tull lyricist/flautist/vocalist/bandleader/CEO Ian Anderson, showcasing his keen insight and deep intellect. Though his self-judgment may sound harsh, as a Tull fanatic, I believe these tracks are GOLD. It says a lot when your extras don’t make it onto the record because the bar is already THAT high.
🔊 Verdict: You’ll definitely mind if you sit this one out.
Joni Mitchell – Live 1976
Label: Rhino Records
Format: 3 LP (140g Black Vinyl)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3600
Jazz & Coffee Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰
Joni’s Live 1976 documents a moment of transformation—bridging her Laurel Canyon lyricism with the jazz-powered complexity of Hejira-era flight. Backed by the L.A. Express (sans Tom Scott), this multi-show collection is mastered and sequenced to simulate a Joni Mitchell concert from 1976 as she turned a series of concert venues into echo chambers for shimmering chords and confessional poetry.
This 3LP release isn’t just about performance—it’s about presence. “Coyote→Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” has a sharper bite, “Amelia” is somehow even lonelier, and the band flexes in a way that foreshadows Shadows and Light. Her voice is agile and probing, occasionally drifting into spaces the studio versions only hinted at. This is transitional Joni, free of arbitrary genre boundaries and unafraid to wander.
Rhino has done a great job with the mastering, and the pressing quantity gives you a fighting chance—unless the TikTok Generation has decided this is THE ONE. (Which, honestly, wouldn’t be a bad thing.) If you want a live document that shows how Joni turned 1976 from transition to take off, this one’s a mandatory pickup. It’s all in the CD/digital editions of Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980), but this vinyl edition sounds excellent and is beautifully sequenced. I anticipate this one may not reach the library shelf until the weather turns cold again.
🔊 Verdict: Hire a line sitter if you must. You can never have too much Joni.
Todd Rundgren – Initiation
Label: Rhino Records
Format: 2 LP
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3500
Jazz & Coffee Rating: ⏰⏰⏰
Originally crammed onto one 67-minute LP, Initiation gets a much-needed vinyl reissue with room to breathe. This 1975 epic is Todd playing the role of both a tunesmith and prog-rock pioneer. LP 1 (formerly Side A) is devoted to a series of esoteric pop numbers with spiritual overtones. LP 2 (formerly Side B) is the side-long suite “A Treatise on Cosmic Fire” that doesn’t come with edibles but will still induce astral projection if the incense is strong enough. The original pressing was notorious for sounding compressed and thin. This new Bernie Grundman cut from the original 1/4” analog master tapes sounds excellent, and while some will undoubtedly dismiss the blue vinyl as gimmicky, it sure is pretty. If you like your prog with a side order of mystic synth-pop or are already a fan of Initiation, put this on your list. For hardcore Todd-heads: you’ve been waiting 50 years—you might as well line up now.
🔊 Verdict: The 2XLP 45RPM format is a nice touch. Inner sleeves with perforations that were rolling paper-sized would have made it even stronger. Liner notes are terrific!
Talking Heads – Live on Tour
Label: Rhino Records
Format: 2 LP (45 RPM)
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 8000
Jazz & Coffee Rating: ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰
I predict Live on Tour is going to fly off the shelves for several good reasons:
The Talking Heads were a fantastic, entertaining, high-energy live outfit whose performances translated well to tape.
The return of the Stop Making Sense film to theaters in 2023, accompanied by the band reuniting for several high-profile press events, put the Talking Heads back into the public eye. Not just to existing fans, but it seems their appeal has a trickle-down effect on younger demographics who are discovering the magic of this iconic band.
Live on Tour ‘78 isn’t a compromised archival live release. The performance is excellent—the nervy, twitchy Heads at their unpolished best, delivering ace musicianship without ever showing off. The sound quality will astound you—it’s like you just commanded the Holodeck to turn your living room into the Agora Ballroom. It sounds MAGNIFICENT.
This is one of Rhino’s bigger RSD runs—8,000 copies—but between Talking Heads’ nostalgia and the organic growth of a new generation of Headheads, this could become the vinyl moment that bridges generations. It’s an early chapter in the band’s story in real-time—jittery, brilliant, and bursting with possibility.
Fun fact: This recording sounds so phenomenal because it was initially recorded via a Warner Brothers Records initiative that began in 1979. The Warner Brothers Music Show issued roughly 50 LPs of music and interviews for a few years, often capturing artists like The Pretenders, Van Morrison, Dire Straits, and the Talking Heads to send promotional LPs of these performances to radio stations to encourage airplay. Original promo copies are scarce. Counterfeit copies are not, and many of the counterfeits look EXACTLY like the originals but sound MUCH worse. So kudos to Team Rhino for liberating this one from the vault (with an additional track that never appeared on the original, “Thank You for Sending Me an Angel”). Original promo copies came with a note dated April ‘79 signed by Warner Brothers National Artist Development Manager (and future digital music pioneer) Ted Cohen.
🔊 Verdict: A budget on Record Store Day is recommended. Otherwise:
Yes – Live at the Rainbow 12/16/72
Label: Rhino Records
Format: 3 LP
Category: RSD Exclusive
Pressing Quantity: 3500
Jazz & Coffee Rating: ⏰⏰⏰
Culled from the just-released Super Deluxe Edition of Close to the Edge, Live at the Rainbow captures Yes on the tail end of their 1972 Close to the Edge tour. It isn't easy to have an unbiased take on this release (I wrote the sleeve notes for the Close to the Edge SDE, so I encourage you to buy that instead 😉). As a fan, I’m glad Rhino did this, and I like how they did it.
Having what essentially amounts to an “alternative Yessongs” on vinyl is nostalgic. If you have a lot of history with that record, dropping the needle on a same-but-different take is a thrill. I have an equally long history with the Yessongs film and a particular affinity for Steve Howe’s lunatic solo during “Yours is No Disgrace.” I had it on bootleg vinyl years ago, and having it on far better-sounding, official vinyl is AWESOME. I’m having a torrid affair with this version of “Close to the Edge.” Once again, Steve Howe FTW’s solo is the best unhinged. This show is the second-ever performance of “Starship Trooper.” It’s remarkably well-realized instrumentally, though it's embryonic when you see how far it would go (I’m looking at you, Wembley 10/28/78). It’s a little rough around the vocal edges, though they still nail some tricky harmonies. Jon HILARIOUSLY botches the lyrics, stumbles, re-botches, and then flips the cosmic bird to the whole damn thing and just makes it all up—I don’t think he’s worried that Chris Squire will yell at him after the gig. Even if he did, Anderson would reach up and punch him square in the kneecap.
Sonically, you should decide if you can live with a couple of dropouts and audio gremlins. The sound is otherwise good, and the bootleg-style jacket holding all 3 LPs is another nostalgic throwback. It looks like the kind of thing I’d lose my shit over if I stumbled on it at It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (RIP) on West 8th Street back in the 80s. Of course, it’d be even COOLER with my liner notes included, but I suppose that’s the price of authenticity.
🔊 Verdict: Don’t trip over your cape running after it, but you’ll want it.
Wrapping up:
Enjoy the music. Enjoy your hobby. Enjoy both with others whenever possible.
Be kind.
Remember, the original spirit of Record Store Day was to drive people into record stores to shop, indulge in a communal vinyl fetish, and have fun. It’s a fantastic day to score some great deals in second-hand crates, and plenty of cheap heat is still out there. That’s where the community part plays a huge role—if you can help out a fellow enthusiast or vice versa on a day that you wouldn’t have gone crate digging, then Record Store Day is still doing its job.
Important: The records I reviewed here are received from labels and publicists without charge. I’m thankful for their trust in sharing these early listens, yet my opinions are forged from over 30 years in the industry and a lifetime of vinyl passion. My critiques are honest, independent, and solely about the music.
Record Store Day has indeed helped keep vinyl in the spotlight–it’s a reminder that music isn’t just something we stream. It’s something to hold, read, and talk about. Whether hunting for that rare pressing of Freddie Hubbard or flipping through the crates before our eyes are fully open, the day taps into that joy.
At its heart, Record Store Day is about keeping music culture alive. It’s not just nostalgia—it’s also community. And for many of us, it’s one of the best days of the year, regardless of what we buy.
This is super helpful - thank you!